Pastor's Corner

Jesus was the master of the moment.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

Life was pressing in on our Lord. He had been healing the sick, driving out demons — caring for the needs of everyone he met.

But it was time to recharge, so Jesus got up early for his alone time. As a result, he knew what needed to happen next – knew that he was to change directions.

His disciples were frantic, telling him that the crowds were clamoring for him. We might have thought Jesus would deal with it. But, God had other plans:

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” (Mark 1:38)

There was a new moment, a new ministry, a new opportunity to serve…

When we concentrate our attention on the present, we focus on the task at hand. We give our full attention to what we are doing and we let go of outcomes.

Let’s enjoy life today ~ because yesterday has gone ~ and tomorrow may never come.

Seizing each moment in life allows us to prolong its value and make it more meaningful. Rather than seeking quantity of time, when we live in the moment - we enjoy and savor every minute. We do not sacrifice quality for quantity.

To make each moment count, we embrace it. Everything we do and every person we come in contact with deserves our full attention. Even when resting, we savor the moment. It gives us the opportunity to recharge, renew and gain clarity.

Quite often we put huge expectations on ourselves and our lives. We rush to do this, hurry up with that, without actually enjoying the process. What is the rush? Where do we think we are going?

The best way for us to honor a lovely moment ~ is to enjoy it…

The enemy of this “in the moment, peaceful living” is our tendency to live in the past. We lose the gift and joy of the present when we cannot/do not let go of painful experiences, perceived wrongs or difficult times.

Living in the moment means letting go of the past and trusting in the future. When we are positive and optimistic in the present, we open the possibility of a promising future. We owe it to ourselves to make every moment count - now!

We might not know the true value of a moment ~ until it becomes a memory.

Many of us live in the past (memories) — some of us live with regret - and some of us live in the future.

Jesus Christ is in our moment. The Lord is living Real Time with us!

For Jesus, it was during his time “in a solitary place” that he was inspired to preach in another place. For me, it was on my bicycle journey back and forth across America that I experienced the call to preach again, “somewhere.” Selbu Lutheran has become my “Galilee.”

So, we forget yesterday - it has already forgotten us. We do not sweat tomorrow - we haven’t even met. Instead, we open our eyes and our heart to a truly precious gift ~ today.

Prayer: “Lord, help me live in Real Time - because that is where you abide. Amen”

Pastor John Cross,

Selbu Lutheran Church